


Loud like Lightning

by xxxraquelita



Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 05:45:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxraquelita/pseuds/xxxraquelita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine falls in love with the boy on the subway. Kurt falls in love with the boy on the internet. One day, their paths cross again. (inspired by: http://carson-phillips.tumblr.com/post/69947298217)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loud like Lightning

To say that Kurt valued his free time would have been an understatement. It was just that there was so _little_ of it, which couldn’t entirely be helped. There was school, his internship, work on top of that, and the amount of time he spent in his apartment was almost all consumed by sleep. He rarely saw his roommate, and usually even then it was at the diner where they both worked, but it wasn’t like he could help it – school was school, his internship was important, and his job necessary to keep him with a roof over his head. It wasn’t that he minded how busy his schedule was, because he enjoyed everything he did, but it made him value the moments when he got to sit still even more.

 

There was something to be said about decompression, of time spent to let his body and mind not have to think so much like it did for the rest of the day. Even that was somewhat on a schedule, though Kurt didn’t think of it like that – more like a routine.

 

It was down to the way he took off his bag as he came through the door, the methodical way he changed out of his clothes once he got to his room – whether they were his normal ones or his work ones, the shedding of everything from the day outside the apartment until he was wearing something comfortable, sitting at his desk and letting the small lamp by his bed provide the only light to the room other than his laptop screen. Catching up on the TV shows he watched had to wait until he could focus on them, and that meant they came later – after he was settled, maybe done some homework if he had any to do, and had moved onto the portion of his night where he sat on the couch and snacked his way through his shows. Before that came his videos.

 

Kurt had spent a good amount of time cultivating his subscriptions on YouTube, going out and looking for people to watch and making sure they were someone he really wanted to commit some time to before clicking the button to subscribe, but he’d done it in a way that meant he had several new videos each day waiting to be watched when he got home. There was a little bit of everything – videos that made him laugh, that were informative, that were visual diary entries broadcast to the world, and some that just plain made him smile. That was why he’d been so selective, because he wanted to be sure that every time he sat down to watch he knew what he was going to get, at least in the most general sense because each one was different but on the same theme. That was why when he got home and slid into his desk chair to pull up the site and start watching the videos for that day, it was his favorite part of his day.

 

Because he had spent so much time, and because it was what he looked forward to every day when he was at school, or his internship, or work, he could have listed which people would have videos waiting for him on any given day, that much integrated into his schedule as anything else. It also meant that as soon as he pulled up the site he would know if someone hadn’t uploaded for some reason or, even less common, if someone had on a day that wasn’t usually theirs.

 

That was why, on that particular Wednesday, Kurt’s gaze was immediately drawn to the one video that shouldn’t have been there. It made his brow furrow briefly, as he made sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him after a long day of lectures and work, but it wasn’t and the video was there, which made him start to smile almost immediately because it was from who was easily his favorite person to watch – **andersongs**.

 

Blaine – the person behind **andersongs** – was Kurt’s favorite, and there was no denying it in the least. As much as getting to sit and veg out and watch videos on the internet was Kurt’s favorite part of any given day, Blaine was his favorite part of that entire section of his life. He was _cute_ and adorable, and he sang like it was what he was _made_ to do, no matter what song it was just full out every time, and played the piano like the keys were an extension of his body. Blaine was funny, adorable, and always uploaded videos on Friday which was always the perfect cap to Kurt’s week, but it was Wednesday and there his name was on the list, the video having been uploaded just a couple hours prior and with a simple description listed beneath it.

 

_To the boy on the subway._

 

Kurt hovered his cursor over the link to the video for a moment before clicking, reading the description over a few times. It wouldn't have been the first time Blaine had done a song that someone had requested when they happened to run into him on the street, but it didn't say _for_ the boy on the subway, it said _to_ him, and that made Kurt think that perhaps it wasn't something that had been requested at all.

 

His mind raced as an advertisement popped up before the video, giving him fifteen seconds to think more about it than he probably should have. It was just – he really wanted to know what kind of person it took for someone like Blaine to notice them to the point of going home, making a video, and uploading it for all the world to see. Maybe it was a little silly, but he'd been watching Blaine's videos for long enough that he felt like he _knew_ him, and he could say that about a lot of the people whose channels he subscribed to but he didn't feel it for any of them as much as he did for Blaine. As the advertisement ended and Blaine's actual video popped up to load, Kurt forced himself to stop trying to figure out who it might have been or what it was about them that brought Blaine to do it, because he didn't want to be too far up in head where he couldn't enjoy what was happening in front of him.

 

Blaine didn't always do intros to his videos, sometimes he just went straight into the music and then saved all the extra words for after, and Kurt wasn't sure which he would have preferred for that particular one. Part of him wanted to hear the story up front, to hear what had happened or who had happened or _anything_ to give him context for the rest of it, but then another part knew that all it would take was even just the hint of what the song was to know the tone of the rest. The latter was what he got, the video fading into Blaine playing the piano, the chords sounding familiar but not entirely identifiable until Blaine started to sing.

 

_You think I'm pretty without any makeup on..._

 

Kurt sat back in his chair, sinking down into it as Blaine's smooth voice came from the speakers of his laptop, the simple piano accompaniment he was providing playing so sweet and beautifully beneath the lines of the song. He'd felt his breath catch before that first line had even finished, the lyrical ballad way Blaine was playing and singing it adding so much more depth to the song than any time Kurt had heard it before – and he'd heard his fair share of covers of 'Teenage Dream' to be able to say as much. But Blaine put so much _feeling_ into the words, so much _meaning_ behind them that they didn't just sound like lyrics anymore, they sounded like truths he was speaking from someplace deep inside himself, and it made Kurt unable to do anything but sit and watch, lips parted slightly in wonder as he listened and let his gaze stay fixed on watching Blaine's features as he sung.

 

Because that was another thing about Blaine that he loved, the way he poured all of himself into what he sung, be it a silly show tune or something that could easily be done half-assed and come off just fine or a top 40 hit that had been done over and over by anyone with the means to record themselves. Blaine always treated everything with the same import, with the right amount of weight for what it was, and every song Kurt had ever seen him sing had been given such care and love that it almost made them seem brand new all over again. The fact that he was doing it again with _that_ song, with _that_ description on the video, Kurt felt a twinge of jealousy inside that he almost immediately felt ridiculous about because it wasn't like he _knew_ Blaine but he couldn't help but feel jealous of whoever subway boy was because _damn_.

 

There was a pause when the song came to a close, the final chords hanging in the air and fading as Blaine let his fingers stay rested on the keys until the notes died out and only they did he move, pulling his hands back into his lap and letting his gaze flicker up to meet the camera. Kurt bit his lip as he watched him, losing himself in the earnest look in Blaine's eyes – those beautiful eyes surrounded by those thick, long eyelashes – not sure if he wanted to hear the story behind the video anymore because that twinge of jealousy felt like it had gotten stronger the further into the song Blaine had gone.

 

"I know this isn't normally a day I put things up but I couldn't resist," Blaine began, a soft smile spreading across his features as he tilted his head and shifted back slightly to put a little room between himself and the piano. "Don't worry, I'm still going to do what I had planned for Friday, but I... well, like I said, I couldn't resist. When I was on the subway today, I saw this boy... and he took my breath away. I don't want to sound creepy or anything," he paused to chuckle lightly, shaking his head, "I don't think he saw me, he was pretty intent on whatever he was reading and I don't think he looked up from his book the whole time between when I got on and when I got off, which might make this seem even more ridiculous, but he made me _feel_ something.

 

"I ride the subway every day, _every_ day, and I see different people, all kinds of different stories being played out, and no one's ever made me stop in my tracks like he did. There was something about him, I don't even know how to describe it, that pulled me in and made me almost miss my stop because I was so _captivated_. It felt like he was someone I'd been meant to see, meant to meet, and I know it was just happenstance that we were on the same train, in the same car, but to me it felt more like fate. I'm sure you all think I'm completely ridiculous for all of this, I mean I didn't even talk to him – I wanted to, I should have, I regret that I didn't... but I guess that's part of the reason I decided to make this, not just because he _moved_ me to want to, but because if some crazy random happenstance put us on the same train, maybe another one can happen to make him see this."

 

Blaine drew in a breath like he was steeling himself before speaking again, the corners of his mouth turning up into even more of a smile than he'd been giving before. "So here goes. If you happen to have been on the One today, headed downtown around two this afternoon, and you were wearing a beautiful black jacket with a brooch that was a... I think it was a _hippopotamus_ , and reading a book that I _think_ was a textbook for a class but I wasn't close enough to actually see – hi. If you see this, I hope you don't think I'm weird and creepy, I wish I'd said hello when I'd seen you, I think you're stunning, and this was for you."

 

There was one final smile given to the camera before the video ended and Kurt sat staring at the screen, not sure if he had been hearing thing or if he remembered how to breathe because he was pretty sure, and by pretty sure he meant _incredibly confident_ Blaine was talking about _him_. Maybe up until that point he'd been hoping beyond any reasonable expectation that it would have been him, because a boy could dream, but that description was... him. He'd spent his entire subway ride reading through some assignments for class and ignoring the rest of the car around him, per usual, and a quick glance over to where his clothes were spread out on his bed confirmed his memory that he'd been wearing a black jacket, his _favorite_ black jacket, and his hippopotamus head brooch was still right there on the lapel.

 

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Kurt mumbled to himself, shaking his head and turning his attention back to his laptop, reaching to it with slightly trembling fingers to scroll down the page. The video had over a hundred thousand views by that point and it was for _him_ he knew it had to be, there was no way it couldn't have been – how many other people could possibly have that brooch, and what were the odds of them having been on the same train at the same time? The odds were slim, but so were the odds that he and Blaine would have been on the same train together, and he kept kicking himself for the fact that he hadn't _known_ because how long had he been fawning over Blaine's videos and he'd been _right there_ – but if he'd noticed, if he'd said anything, would that video have gotten made? "Oh my _god_."

 

Kurt wasn't sure if it was the shock of it all that made him unable to figure out what to do, or just the fact that what _could_ he do? He never read the comments on any videos, because he'd learned long, long ago that reading the comments on anything on the internet was the best way to see the worst of humanity, but he couldn't stop himself from scrolling through them to see what people were saying. There was no part of him that entertained the thought of leaving a comment to Blaine to say he thought he was the person he was talking about, because what if he wasn't – that could be awkward, but if he had been it would have been easily dashed away from the amount of other people who were already doing that exact thing. Mixed in with the comments of _'oh my god how sweet!!!!'_ and _'this was beautiful and made me cry, i hope your subway boy sees this!'_ were more than a few claims from people commenting who were saying they thought it was about them.

 

After the fifth comment he saw making a claim to be the person Blaine was singing to, Kurt scrolled back up to top of the page and spent a few seconds staring at the ended video screen before pressing the replay button and settling back into his chair, his hand coming up to press his fingers against his lips as Blaine started singing again.

 

As if it hadn't been almost too much the first time around, it was nothing compared to the second. For as much as Kurt had appreciated the emotion and depth Blaine had put into all the words, all the phrases, all the _everything_ , he took it in even more when he heard it being sung to him – like he was hearing it for the first time again, and in a way he was because it was the first time he was hearing it for what it really was. Blaine's voice felt like it was washing over him, and that time he listened with none of the jealousy creeping in like it had before, more like a relief settling in through his body because he didn't have any thought running through his mind to detract from what was happening on the screen in front of him, just the knowledge that it was happening and it was happening for _him_ , because of him, somehow and someway and he still didn't entirely understand how everything had lined up to cause it to happen but he knew he was grateful that it had.

 

On the fourth time through watching the video, it finally set in. Kurt felt _overwhelmed_ beyond belief by it all, and he didn't even know how to express any of it because it was unbelievable but he was starting to believe. Blaine was singing to him, had seen him and felt so taken that he'd gone and done _this_ and poured his heart out in a song and put it up for the world to see with the hope that _he_ would see. It was such a romantic gesture with so much hope behind it that tears started slipping from the corners of Kurt's eyes before he'd even realized they'd been forming. His heart felt like it was pounding so hard against his ribcage, that it was so full, that it might burst, and he didn't know how to handle any of what had come at him since he got home so he thought he might just let it if it did.

 

It took the sound of the door to the apartment opening and banging shut to break him out of his trance of staring at his laptop, letting the video play over and over, watching the way Blaine's smile lit up his face and made his eyes seem to sparkle. He could hear his roommate moving around, singing to herself and calling out that she'd picked up dinner on the way home, and it was that last part that made him finally wipe his hands across his cheeks to get rid of the tears that had streaked down. The feelings that had surged up inside him hadn't subdued at all, but Kurt wasn't sure if they ever would. All he knew was that sitting at his desk and watching that video on repeat could only last for so long, and maybe he should get some food in his system before trying to deal with any of it – because he hadn't eaten since grabbing a quick bite before getting onto the subway that afternoon.

 

He wasn't sure if he should tell his roommate about what happened, because Rachel was sweet but he had a feeling she would run with the knowledge and try to come up with all kinds of ways for Kurt to contact Blaine or to find him and he wasn't sure what he was going to do but he knew it wouldn't be one of her harebrained schemes, but he wasn't about to say no to dinner. There was time enough to think over what to do once his stomach wasn't growling, which he'd ignored well enough when he'd been so fixated on Blaine and the beautiful words coming his way, and if he put off his homework to go back and watch as many as Blaine's videos as he could before he had to call it a night and crawl into bed, so be it. The last thing he watched before he went to sleep was the video from that day again – _to the boy on the subway_ – letting the sweet melody and rich tone of Blaine's voice wash over him like a lullaby, sending him to sleep with the promise of the best dreams he could imagine.

   
\-------------

 

That video did more than make emotions swell up inside Kurt every time he thought of it, because it changed the way he approached so many simple parts of his life. No longer could he ride the subway with all his attention focused on something for school, or planning ahead for his internship or work, because what if he was missing something by having his head down? What if he was missing Blaine? He knew it was ridiculous because if Blaine were to see him again and Kurt wasn't paying attention, surely he would say something – wouldn't he? Kurt had to think that he would, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't let himself stop paying attention, not just when he was on the train Blaine had referenced but any time he was on one at all.

 

Blaine was true to his word about uploading his normal video the Friday following the video he'd made for Kurt – _to_ Kurt, which was the only way Kurt could think of it, and it still made it feel like there were butterflies swooping into his stomach every time he thought about it – but without a single mention or reference to what had happened. It wasn't a disappointment, because what was there to say? Kurt felt like he should reach out somehow but didn't know how or when or what the possibility of Blaine even seeing his attempt would be. Any time he thought about it, he thought about all the people who weren't him who commented saying they thought it was about them, and it made him hope that fate would intervene to put them in the same place again, because that was the only way he could see it working.

 

That was why he paid attention on the subway, and as much as he could when he was walking along the sidewalks to get from place to place, because if it happened once on the subway there was no reason it couldn't happen again anywhere. The odds weren't great, but they wouldn't have been the first time either, so Kurt had to hold onto as much hope as he could, all things considered. He had hope, and he had Blaine's videos, and that had to be enough until the day, if it ever came, there was something more to work with.

 

The thing about Blaine's videos was that he'd already been able to watch them over and over without getting tired of them, and it was just like that intensified once he'd heard that voice singing to him, those words being spoken _about him_. Kurt tried to keep it from being an obsessive thing, because he was sure that wouldn't have been healthy, but he didn't see any harm in tacking on one of Blaine's videos at the end of his nightly watching of his subscriptions, like a cherry on top of them all to bring one last smile to his face before he set in to do whatever else his night needed to encompass. Homework seemed less daunting when the last thing he'd heard before thinking about it was Blaine singing, Blaine speaking, just Blaine.

 

Blaine did mention it once, eventually, weeks after he'd posted the video and left it to the world with the hope of the right person seeing it – which had worked, just without the bonus of them being able to do anything about it. His video had been just like the rest, normal and Blaine-like and so much enthusiasm pouring into the song he was doing, but then toward the end he'd made the first reference to the video since he'd posted it.

 

_"I know a lot of people have been wondering, ever since I posted that one particular video a few weeks back – my 'Teenage Dream' video – but no, I haven't had any luck finding him. I keep an eye out every time I'm on the subway, but I haven't seen him there other than that one time. I'm going to keep looking, though, so thank you for your curiosity and support, I really do appreciate it, and I'll be sure to let you know if I have any luck."_

 

That had been enough to reinforce to Kurt that he wasn't just inventing things in his head, though it was difficult to think that he was when there was proof right there on the internet for all to see, but the reassurance that Blaine hadn't been caught up in the moment at the time and then moved on from that moment and to other things and people was a nice one to have. He tried to take things with a grain of salt, but it was hard to do that when there were such earnest eyes staring out at him from the screen of his laptop, looking straight into his as Blaine talked about how he was looking for him, looking for _him_ , every time he was on the subway, which was a sentiment Kurt knew all too well. Fate just wasn't on their side, because even if they were moving in the same directions, on the same trains, they weren't managing to get in the right cars. There were too many variable at play and the city was too big.

 

Kurt's breath still caught in his throat every time he was scrolling through the page on his laptop and saw Blaine's _'to the boy on the subway'_ video. It was insane the amount of views it had, the amount of views it accumulated every day, adding up and adding up to an overwhelming amount far surpassing the amount on any of Blaine's other videos. He didn't have to watch it to be able to hear the gentle chords from Blaine's fingers pressing down on the piano keys, the melodious way his voice lingered on words and notes and filled the room around him, around Kurt, because he'd seen it enough times, heard it enough times, that it was ingrained in his memory in way that he wasn't sure anything else had ever been. That didn't stop him from watching it, though.

 

He liked to watch it to remind himself that it was real, that it had happened, and that even if he'd tried to make it up in his head it never would have come anywhere close to how wonderful it actually was. It felt like something out of a romantic movie, like there was no way it could have actually happened, but there it was – right there in front of him and more perfect than it ever could have been even if it /had/ been in a movie. It was genuine, sweet, and never stopped being overwhelming no matter how many times he saw it because it was real, it was to him, and every time Blaine spoke at the end of it and described him like he did, Kurt felt a hint of frustration at the fact that he hadn't looked up, he hadn't seen him, and that they hadn't managed to find each other since, but that always managed to get overshadowed by the hope he clung to that _one day_ they would.

 

Weeks turned to months, just a couple months, but the amount of time that passed did nothing to diminish the way Kurt felt about Blaine, about how Blaine made him feel. It didn't stop him from keeping his books tucked in his bag every time he was on the subway, his gaze flickering around whatever car he was in to see if maybe Blaine was there too, and even when he wasn't that wasn't a good enough reason to stop trying to pay attention. There was the subway, the walks to and from it, to his internship, to school, to work, all his attention flitting to the people around him until he was where he was going and had to focus on what was happening there instead. That was why his guard was down when he heard it, why he thought he was daydreaming and letting his thoughts wander to let himself hear what he wanted instead of his boss talking to him at the diner when he walked in to start his shift, but it wasn't until his boss stopped talking he realized that no, he wasn't imagining anything.

 

The strains coming from the piano on the stage at the back of the diner were so familiar that Kurt could have heard them in his sleep, but they were being played for real, right there, right then. Blaine played song that anyone could know, anyone could play, but his arrangements were so much his own that Kurt thought that was partially what set them apart – well, that and his voice – and that was why Kurt immediately knew it was him playing, the melody shooting through him like a jolt and making him feel like he couldn't move.

 

In all the time he'd spent looking for Blaine, waiting to see him somewhere, all the hope he'd had that he would find him walking down the street one day, Kurt had never thought about what he would do if that _actually_ happened. He'd never thought about how he would approach him, what he would say, if he'd even be able to form words because based on the way his mouth had gone completely dry when he'd realized Blaine was there at the diner, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to at all. His heart felt like it was racing to get out of his chest, like it would leap free if it was able, and the only sound his ears were bothering to process was that of the piano, all the other mindless chatter and diner noise completely tuned out. All he could focus on was that, on Blaine, and that was before he made himself turn on the spot where he was standing so he could actually see him, confirming what he already knew when he saw him sitting there.

 

Blaine was just as cute in person as he was in his videos, except more in every single way. He was wearing a nice shirt that was a deep red, a rich tone that matched the way his voice sounded, with a sweater vest worn snuggly overtop, and slim cut pants that were cuffed enough to give a glimpse of his ankle as his foot pressed down on the suspend pedal of the piano. Kurt felt glued to the spot as he watched him, taking in the way Blaine’s fingers moved across the keys, something he was familiar with but that seemed so different in person. He could see it all so much better, the ease with which Blaine played, the care he took with every placement of his fingertips, how he seemed so at home and comfortable there at the piano.

 

“Kurt.” A hand moved in front of his face and the fingers snapped, breaking him out of his trance, making him blink and tear his gaze away from Blaine – which he didn’t want to do because if he was looking at him that meant he was real and wasn’t going to disappear, but he was scared that the second he wasn’t, Blaine would be gone. His boss raised an eyebrow at him, pulling his hand back to rest on the counter and drum his fingers against it. “Is there a problem?”

 

“No, no problem,” Kurt murmured, his voice coming out slightly breathless as he gave a shake of his head. “It’s… nothing. Excuse me.”

 

It’s nothing was the complete opposite of what it was, because Blaine being there was _everything._ It was everything Kurt had been waiting for since he saw that video, maybe not so specifically there at the diner but Blaine being there, being in the same place as him, it was everything. He moved away from the counter, away from his boss, moving toward the stage because he might not have known what he was going to say but he knew he needed to say _something_ or at least get closer because Blaine was _right there_ and that had to mean something, just like Blaine seeing him on the subway had meant something.

 

Kurt thought he knew what Blaine had meant with all the things he’d said before, because while Kurt had always felt captivated by Blaine, he’d never felt like he did then when he was seeing him in person. He felt lost in watching him, listening to him, slowly making his way toward the stage like he was being pulled there, because he certainly wasn’t paying much attention to the tables and patrons around him so he was sure it was mostly luck that was getting him there without running into anything or anyone. He couldn’t stop watching him, still feeling like Blaine might disappear if he looked away, and managed to make it to the edge of the stage just seconds before Blaine played the final notes of the song.

 

“Hi.” Kurt drew in a breath as soon as he spoke, the word having slipped out before he could come up with something better to say. His gaze stayed fixed on Blaine as those eyes he was so used to seeing look at him actually _looked at him,_ widening almost immediately as Blaine’s lips parted in surprise, then quickly turned up in a smile.

 

“ _Hi_ ,” Blaine replied softly, sliding to the edge of the piano bench and shifting so he was sitting facing Kurt, turned away from the piano completely as he tilted his head. For all the butterflies Kurt felt when listening to Blaine before, it was nothing compared to the way his stomach felt like it was swooping with Blaine looking at him like that, like he couldn’t believe Kurt was standing there in front of him. He wanted to stay there like that, just looking into his eyes, for a long as he could because being so close, having him right there, was more than he could have ever imagined it would be. “It’s _you_.”

 

“It’s me,” Kurt said, shaking his head and clearing his throat as he tried to focus on words instead of just losing himself in those deep and whiskey colored eyes of Blaine’s. “I...  you’re here.”

 

“I thought I’d imagined you,” Blaine went on, his voice quiet and low, and his eyes looked like they were sparkling which seemed impossible in the not-so-great lighting of the diner but they were. “You saw it, though. You saw my video.”

 

“I saw it,” Kurt replied, giving a slight nod before drawing in a breath to go on, extending his arm to hold his hand out to him. “Sorry, I’m Kurt.”

 

“Blaine.” Blaine’s hand slid into his, and Kurt briefly recalled how his hands had felt sweaty as he’d walked up toward the stage but he must have subconsciously wiped them against his pants because they weren’t anymore and he was glad, because that would have been a horrible way to start anything with Blaine. He let his thumb brush against the back of Blaine’s hand as he shook it lightly, taking in the way Blaine’s fingertips pressed against the inside of his wrist before he pulled his hand back, and then they were skimming across his palm. “I can’t believe you saw it.”

 

“I can’t believe you made it,” Kurt said honestly, because it was true – despite how many times he’d watched it, how many times he’d reminded himself that it was real and had happened, he still couldn’t believe that video was a thing that he hadn’t imagined. He took a step back from the stage as Blaine shifted to his feet, moving to the edge and hopping down to stand in front of Kurt, so much closer to Kurt, instead of being up by the piano. “It was beautiful, by the way, you sing beautifully.”

 

“I’m so glad you didn’t think it was weird,” Blaine admitted with a huffed out laugh, shaking his head and letting his chin tuck down to his chest before he looked at Kurt again. “I know it wasn’t… conventional and I didn’t even have a reason I could put into words very well but I… I meant what I said. You _moved_ me, Kurt. I saw you sitting there and I got hit with this feeling that I was meant to see you, that I was meant to know you, but I was so overwhelmed by that feeling that I didn’t say anything, and I _did_ almost miss my stop, but as soon as I got off that train I regretted not talking to you and I saw you through the window for one last second before the train left and I thought, I had to do something – and that video, it was the only thing I could think of to do.”

 

Kurt felt like he had when he’d first realized that video was about him all over again, his heart pounding so hard in his chest and so much feeling swelling up inside. It was one thing to hear Blaine say things like that when there were god knows how many miles between them, but something different when he was standing right there, close enough to touch, when Kurt knew what his hand felt like against his own and was close enough to try and count his eyelashes, were that not to seem like a near impossible task. He could feel his breath threatening to catch in his breath, because as earnest as Blaine’s eyes always seemed they were at least ten times as much in person, and that was all being aimed his way.

 

“I didn’t think it was weird,” Kurt murmured, giving a shake of his head and nipping at the inside of his lip before letting his gaze flicker up to meet Blaine’s again. “I feel like I should come clean and let you know I’ve been subscribed to your channel for a while, since way before you did that video. When I saw that, before I got toward the end where you explained it, I wanted it to be for me – and then I couldn’t believe that it _was_ for me. I’ve heard you sing so many times and I never thought I would hear you sing something like that… to me. You say I moved you, but you – _you’ve_ moved me so many times, made me feel so many things, and I still can’t believe you saw me, out of anyone you could have seen. I looked for you every day after I saw that video, hoped that I would see you, and now here you are and I’m having trouble believing _that,_ too.”

 

“Crazy random happenstance,” Blaine whispered, a smile spreading across his features, and it was the kind of smile that made Kurt feel like the entire diner around them had disappeared and there was no one there but them, so warm and easy that he wanted to memorize every part of it to be able to remember on every rainy day. “I play at a lot of different piano bars and diners, so fancy that I’d happen to be playing at this one when you were working.”

 

“Exactly.” Kurt bit his lip as he grinned, then started to go to speak again when he heard his name being called from across the room. It took that to remind him of the last part of what Blaine had said – he was _working_. He’d barely gotten there and changed into uniform before he’d gotten distracted by the music, by Blaine, and completely wandered away from his boss to stand up by the stage and ignore the fact that he was supposed to be doing something other than talking to Blaine. “Oh, right. Work.”

 

“How late are you working?” Blaine asked, glancing over Kurt’s shoulder toward where Kurt was sure his boss was watching them.

 

“Not too late, just a few hours, I’m covering for someone who had an emergency and had to leave partway through their shift.”

 

“Well I’m not glad they had an emergency, but I _am_ glad you’re the one who came in for them,” Blaine replied, his gaze meeting Kurt’s again and his eyes sparkling as a smile turned up the corners of his mouth again. “Otherwise who knows how long it would have taken us to find each other, right?”

 

“Right,” Kurt agreed, making a mental note to make sure his coworker was okay but then also to send her a thank you card or something along those lines, because _really_ he was lucky. He bit his lip, not wanting to say what he knew he should next, and let it go with a sigh. “I do need to get to work, though. I’m sorry.”

 

“Do you want to get something to eat after?” Blaine asked, reaching over to lightly touch Kurt’s arm as if he were afraid he was going to turn and go right that second without anything else passing between them. “I was just about done with my set and I had a few errands to run but, if you’re free after you’re done here, I’d love to do something – coffee, maybe, if you’re not going to want food?”

 

“Coffee would be perfect.” Kurt felt like a weight had been lifted, that as soon as turned to get to work it wouldn’t be the last time he saw Blaine, or that there wasn’t going to be a huge gap between then and when they saw each other again after taking so long to land in the same place all together. He gave a small nod, as if confirming what he’d already said, and returned the smile Blaine was giving him. “Here, let me give you my number in case something comes up – not that it will, but just so you have it…”

 

Blaine handed over his phone without hesitation, unlocking the screen first and opening a new contact for Kurt to put in his information. It only took a few seconds, and Kurt felt like his boss’ stare was going to bore a hole in the back of his head if he took much longer, but he didn’t want to get to work without knowing for certain that they had a way of getting ahold of each other. Blaine sent him a text so Kurt would have his number before he slid his phone away, and they both paused, neither wanting to move from where they were, from how they were.

 

“I’ll just come back once I’m done with my errands, unless I hear from you before then,” Blaine said slowly, as if planning it out as he spoke. “So just text or call me if you get done and I’m not here, because none of the errands I have to do can’t be put off until tomorrow, and coffee with _you_ is definitely more important than anything I have on my list of things to get done today.”

 

“Alright, well I should probably… work,” Kurt replied, taking a slow step back and wrinkling his nose at the thought of it. “But I’ll definitely see you later, right?” Blaine gave a nod and reached over, hooking his fingers around Kurt’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Good, I think that’ll help me get through this shift.”

 

“Godspeed, Kurt.” Blaine winked as he let go of his hand, biting his lip as he shifted back toward the stage and gave him one last smile before turning to hop back up and get to the piano.

 

Kurt watched him settle in on the bench before forcing himself to turn away and walk back toward the counter, his stomach feeling fluttery thanks to that wink, ducking his head down to avoid the glare of his manager as he glanced down to see what section was his before quickly walking over to check on the tables there. It was distracting to know Blaine was there, to hear him playing, and Kurt couldn’t help but glance over to the stage every chance he had – to reassure himself that he hadn’t imagined it all. Thankfully, while not thankfully at all, Blaine wasn’t there for much longer, because Kurt wasn’t sure if he would be able to do his job well enough not to get fired if Blaine was there.

 

The last song Blaine played before he left was ‘Teenage Dream’ and Kurt spent the entire time standing behind the counter under the guise of wrapping silverware in napkins, but really he was just watching Blaine. He couldn’t help it, not with that song, not when Blaine was playing it and glancing over toward where Kurt was standing, a knowing smile on his face.

 

Blaine walked by him on his way out of the diner, lingering close enough to murmur, “I’ll see you later,” before heading out and glancing over his shoulder at Kurt before the door closed behind him. The reminder that they had plans, that they were going to see each other only a few hours later and spend time together that wasn’t in the diner under the watchful eye of Kurt’s boss. It was enough to make Kurt bounce on the balls of his feet as he thought about it, watching Blaine walk by the windows along the front of the diner and disappear down the sidewalk. Coffee sounded perfect after a day that was already long, and coffee with Blaine even better.

 

By the time Kurt’s shift was over, it felt like it had been the longest one of his life – and that was saying something considering it really was a short one compared to what he usually worked. He was sure that part of it was probably that he hadn’t planned on being there in the first place, but also mostly the anticipation of what was to come afterward. Blaine showed up about twenty minutes before he was done and spent the time sitting at the end of the bar, looking adorable and distracting Kurt from the time slowly ticking by until he was done.

 

“Alright, all ready,” he said as he came out from the back, having changed from his work clothes into what he’d been wearing before, his own clothes which were much more comfortable and fitting compared to the uniform he was forced to wear at the diner. Blaine smiled when he saw him, his gaze flickering down over Kurt’s outfit as he shifted down to his feet from the barstool where he’d been sitting. “Thanks for waiting.”

 

“I figured a few more minutes was nothing, compared to the potential of how long it might have taken otherwise if you hadn’t picked up this shift in the first place,” Blaine replied, offering him a grin as he stepped over closer. “So, coffee? I know a great place.”

 

Kurt glanced down at where Blaine was holding his hand over, open and inviting, and he let his fingertips skim over Blaine’s palm as he slipped his own hand into his. It felt better than it had before when they’d shook, much more comfortable and right to be holding instead, a gentle hold that gave reassurance. He felt like it would take him just as long to get used to Blaine being real and right there as it had for him to consistently remember that the video was real and for him, but at least with Blaine now there was the tactile reminder, the number in his phone, the way Blaine smiled at him that made Kurt feel tingles all the way through his body down to his toes. Holding Blaine’s hand made him feel like he could do anything, go anywhere, but the first step was small and easy enough.

 

“Coffee sounds perfect.” Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand lightly and offered him a smile, giving a nod. “Lead on, Blaine Anderson.”

 

“I will, Kurt…” Blaine trailed off, tilting his head and letting his brow furrow slightly as he looked at him.

 

“Hummel,” Kurt supplied.

 

“Kurt Hummel,” Blaine continued as he started out the door of the diner, grinning at Kurt over his shoulder. “I can get us there fast, I know a shortcut.”

 

Kurt wouldn’t have cared if Blaine’s coffee shop had been on the complete other side of the city, he was sure he would gladly make the trip as long as he got to keep Blaine’s hand in his – but he supposed there was plenty of time for that, because one coffee date certainly wasn’t going to be the last of things, not if he had anything to do with it, and based on how Blaine kept close to him the whole time, he was sure Blaine wouldn’t let that happen either.

 

It may have been a series of crazy random happenstances, as Blaine put it, but Kurt was more than glad to accept the nudges of fate, especially with how wonderfully it had nudged Blaine into his life.

 

\-------------  
months later...   
\-------------

 

“Alright, alright, everyone’s been bothering me for this,” Blaine began as his video started, rolling his eyes but it what was obviously a playful manner considering the broad smile on his face. “Ever since I _offhandedly_ mentioned that I’d managed to run into a certain someone again, which I thought would put all your concerns to rest; you all have been pestering me to get that certain someone on one of my videos. Well – today is your lucky day.”

 

He reached up to the camera and the view zoomed out, widening to show Blaine wasn’t sitting on his piano bench alone. “This, ladies and gentlemen, people of the internet, is my boy from the subway. Or, if you’d like to be more up to date, this is my boyfriend, Kurt.”

 

“Hello,” Kurt offered with a smile, lifting his hand in a wave. Blaine leaned over and nudged their shoulders together before turning his attention back to the camera.

 

“Anyway, you all have been persistent but also mostly sweet in your curiosity in making sure that I found him, which I did—”

 

“Technically _I_ found _you_ ,” Kurt added, a soft smirk turning up the corners of his mouth as he looked over at Blaine, obviously more comfortable with looking at him rather than into the camera.

 

“Yes, that’s true,” Blaine agreed, resting his hands on the keys of his piano and absently playing a quiet melody as he spoke. “Kurt found me, after I found him – let’s just say we found each other, each in our own time. We found each other, and then you, lovely people of the internet, seemed to want to get to meet him somehow. I understand, because he’s an incredible person and _anyone_ would want to meet him, so…”

 

Kurt huffed out a laugh, giving a shake of his head and letting his chin drop down toward his chest as a light flush rose in his cheeks, and Blaine just grinned in response, giving a wink the camera before turning his attention to Kurt and leaning over to rest his head on his shoulder. “Well it’s _true_ …”

 

“I’m sorry, did you ask me to come on your video just so you could make me blush on camera? Because I was under the impression we were going to sing a song.” Kurt scrunched his nose at him, but the smile never left his face, so clearly he couldn’t have minded _too_ much.

 

“I hadn’t even told them what a great singer you are yet,” Blaine replied, turning his head to press a kiss against Kurt’s shoulder before sitting up straight again and directing his gaze and words straight into the camera. “But oh, he really is.”

 

“I’m sure your lovely subscribers will let you know if I am or not.” Blaine chuckled at that before mouthing a _‘be nice’_ toward the camera and turning his attention down to the keys in front of him, switching from the absent wandering melody he’d been playing to something with more intent, a clear and bolder rhythm that led into whatever he’d planned for them to sing.

 

“ _Here we go again, I kind of want to be more than friends,”_ Blaine began, a grin breaking out across his face like he couldn’t stop it if he tried. He dipped his shoulders from side to side with the music, and Kurt was doing the same, like it was a habit they’d formed when they’d practiced and it was an automatic movement by that point. “ _So take it easy on me, I’m afraid you’re never satisfied…_ ”

 

“ _Here we go again, we’re sick like animals we play pretend,_ ” Kurt took over, his voice low and a little sultry as he sang, the corners of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “ _You’re just a cannibal and I’m afraid I won’t get out alive…_ ”

 

“ _No, I won’t sleep tonight,_ ” Blaine chimed in with him, their voices blending together as they launched into the chorus. “ _Oh oh, I want some more, oh oh, what are you waiting for? Take a bite of my heart tonight…”_

The camera seemed all but forgotten while they sang, eyes only for each other as they made their way through the song, trading off stanzas and harmonizing through the choruses, Kurt’s voice lilting up over Blaine’s and dipping back down again, mixing together but neither overpowering. Glances were shared, and they kept doing synchronized little dance moves from where they were seated on the piano bench, obviously developed over the time they’d spent practicing. By the time they hit the end of the song and the notes hung in the air, they’d both managed to avoid looking at the camera the entire time they’d been singing, settling instead to watch each other with a few glances down to the piano keys when Blaine would give little interludes between parts.

 

“Good job,” Blaine murmured as he lifted his hands from the keys, and Kurt hummed in response.

 

“You too, but I doubt anyone would expect any less,” he replied, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he bumped their shoulders together before they both lifted their gaze to the camera.

 

“So there you have it,” Blaine said, his smile widening again, enough that it made his eyes sparkle like they only did when he was smiling _that much_. “For all of you who have been asking, this is Kurt, now you know, you’ve met him, you’ve heard his beautiful voice. I’ve been Blaine, and now it’s time for us to go get some coffee, and I’ll see you all next week.”

 

Kurt gave the camera a parting wave before turning his attention back to Blaine and leaning in to press a kiss against his cheek as the camera cut out, but not before catching the way Blaine’s face lit up even more at that than it had been before, and the way Kurt’s smile didn’t falter in the least when his lips were pressed against Blaine’s skin – if anything it grew, and that said as much as if not more than the rest of the video had all together.  

 

 


End file.
